The Little Green Hero
by Frosti1212
Summary: After Lloyd rescued the ninja, (instead off failing in episods 11) Pythor has a new plan to unleash an ancient evil that could destroy Ninjago and plunge the world in endless shadows. In order to fully awaken him, the soul of our favorite green ninja is needed at the winter solstice. Will Lloyd die, or defeat the evil before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Lloyd's POV:

When Nya told me that the others, including Dad, were held in a cage, I could feel my heart drop to my chest. I barely knew how to fight, much less rescue anyone. I was the one needing rescuing yesterday! Now they are counting on me to save them.

The question was how. I knew that the cage was hanging from the ceiling of the fortress. Hmmm, Oh man what in the world was I supposed to do?...

Cole's POV:

Great. Just great. Not only were we trapped in cages with the greatest villain Ninjago has ever seen, but we have to put all our trust into the son of the greatest villain Ninjago has ever seen. I seemed to be the only one having doubts with this plan. Now all we could do was watch the serpentine fight in the slither pits, which can get old very fast. Sensei Wu had a worried expression on his face as his brother was nervously pacing the floor of the cage. I don't blame either of them to be nervous, but if Garmadon doesn't stop pacing soon he's going to wear a rut in the cage…

Garmadon's POV:

Though I would never admit it, I was scared. My only son was now our only hope of freedom, and based on the amount of serpentine here in the fortress, Lloyd could get seriously hurt if he was spotted by even one of them.

I do have faith in him. Not a lot, but some. But everyone here has seen him fight, and we all know how that is going for him. I'm still shocked he is the chosen one. When we first found out, fatherly pride took over and I couldn't help but grin. Then I realized that we would need to fight each other to the death for the fate of Ninjago. My family is becoming more and more divided, as if it wasn't divided enough. Whenever I think of this, my heart aches and my head comes up with ideas of what could have been.

My thoughts were so rudely interrupted by a small sigh. The lightning ninja, Jay, was it? "Well this is boring" he grumbled. "For once, I agree with you Jay. Now all we can do is wait and see what my son has in store for us."

Lloyd's POV:

Ok. As I furiously marched around the bounty looking for anything that would prove of use, anxiety continued to fill my gut as much as Uncle fills his teapot, which is often. Somehow, I ended up at the door of the weapons room. An expression of pure awe was erupted across my face as I cautiously entered the room.

Shurikins hung on the wall in all shapes and sizes, and as I walked closer I marveled at the intriquite designs carved into them. Swords, katanas, scithes, and nunchucks all had their own special place. My eyes traveled to every single corner, but none of the weapons I could picture myself holding. A flash of light caught the corner of my eye, and then I saw a set of bow and arrows in the corner of the room. I've always liked archery, and I wasn't half bad at it either. An idea formed into my head as I grabbed the arrows and dashed to the bridge.

Sensei Wu's POV:

I sighed as I watched the slither pit going on below. My nephew was our only chance of escaping, and odds of him succeeding aren't very high, and even my brother can agree with that. He walked over to me with fear in his blood red eyes, and sighed. "Do you think Lloyd will rescue us?" I questioned. "I can't be sure if he will or not, I suppose all we can do is hope for the best".

My students Jay and Cole were playing a game of checkers with, was that hair oil? I chuckled and suppressed a smile. "What?" my brother inquired. "I find it humorous that my students are playing checkers with hair oil. It's amazing how they find ways to entertain themselves." Garmadon smirked and shook his head. I missed these moments we shared.

A groan from Kai caused me to prepare myself for his complaints yet to come. Though I love all my students, sometimes Kai's impatience is rather bothersome. "Ugh this is frustraiting. Just because Pythor took our golden weapons, doesn't mean we can't use our powers. I just need…to focus…" When will he learn… I wondered. "Kai, the temple was created out of venge stone. Our elemental powers are rendered useless. Patience." After an angry huff, he stomped over to Jay and Cole's heated checkers game and snatched the hair oil. "HEY!?" snapped Jay. "Why do you need hair oil anyway, hot head? Your hair is spikey enough." Countered Cole. He has a point…and I'm sure everyone else can agree. While spreading some of the hair oil on his gi, he manages to point out, "Yeah well maybe we don't need to use our elemental powers to get out of here, just a little enginuity." Kai then slipped out through the bars of the cage and swung over to the chain near bye, while the rest of my students began to throw their weight around. Interesting idea, my students. Kai then flung himself towards the wall, only to be encountered by Pythor himself.

Lloyd's POV:

Well it took a while, but I finally have a plan to rescue everybody. At the bridge I contacted them through Nya's samurai mec. After a few seconds, I received a rather annoyed transmition from hot head himself. "What!?" "Nice to hear from you too hot head, it's me." Sheesh, someone's in a mood.

"Lloyd, ignore him, it's Cole, are you ok?" "Yeah I'm fine, just called to tell you guys I got a plan and I'm coming over there as we speak. I Should be there in 10 minutes or so." "Lloyd it's Dad you sure you have a plan, that's, well, realistic?" "Well yeah, if I didn't then I wouldn't be doing it. Anyways I'll be there soon. Just hang tight!" I then ended the transmition and sailed to the fortress.

Garmadon's POV:

After Lloyd ended the talk, a mixture of relief and worry filled my gut. He has a plan, which is good. The fact that he is heading over to a pit full of snakes without knowing how to fight is very, very bad.

After what seemed like forever Zane, I think it was, brought up that Pythor is growing impatient with all the slither pits and wants to go to the city of Ourobourous. Personally, I don't blame him for being impatient, but this means our time is decreasing fast and Lloyd still isn't here.

As soon as I finished thinking that, however, a flash of green appeared at the entrance of the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

A.N: Omg you all are so sweet! Thank you all for those wonderful comments they really make my day. I'm still figuring out how to work this site, but I will master it someday, cause I promise I won't disappoint my fans! Anyways, as so many of you guys requested: CHAPTER 2!

Jay's POV:

I've never been happier to see this kid then right now. And believe me I'm sure everyone else feels the same way. We all stood up and smiled, but we all awaited anxiously to see what he would do to save us.

Cole was waving, trying to get his attention, which thankfully worked. Underneath that mask I knew from the bottom of my heart he was grinning ear to ear. Lloyd waved back, and his head darted back and forth, as if looking for something to do, or how to do it. Kai was tapping his feet, which was very annoying.

"Do you mind?!" I snapped. "No." he simply replied. Grrrr….honestly sometimes hot head drives me over the edge. Nya, however, smiled and happily stated: "He made it! But, now what?" "Nno idea Nnnya." Gosh sometimes I'm such an idiot around her, but can you blame me?

Lloyd's POV:

I tried to maintain a calm expression on my face, but on the inside I felt like I would puke my guts out. I have never been this scared since when my cover was blown in the city of Ourobourous. I closed my eyes and, taking a deep breathe, whispered: "I can do this. The serpentine do not scare me. I know what to do and I will do it right. Everyone is counting on me, and I will not let them down." This made me feel a little better. With the bow and arrows with me, I advanced.

The fortress was larger than I anticipated. As I inched along the side of the wall, remaining incognito, I tried to take in my surroundings. The majority of the serpentine were below ground, either battling or watching the slither pits. Pythor, was holding, oh gosh, the fang blades. Some were hanging out above the floor like me, patrolling the base making sure people like me don't get in. They were mostly warriors, with some scouts. Oh joy.

I knew without question that Dad, Uncle and the others were watching my every move, but I pushed that thought aside. That would just add to the pressure. In order for my plan to work, I have to get closer, and higher above the cage. Then I'll pick the lock. I sighed in relief when I was no longer standing on the thin ledge anymore. Unfortunately, I ended up in front of 2 constricti warriors. "Hey! What do you think you're doin?"

Kai's POV:

Oh no. My heart nearly stopped when Lloyd was stopped by those warriors. Please, please, please let him get out ok….!

His father gasped and strained to see what was going on. We could only see one of the warriors, and Lloyd, who's expression read one word: terror, and I don't blame him. The look in his eyes read: "OH COME ON!" Again, don't blame him. Sensei Wu looked like he was debating whether to look away or watch.

Lloyd was shakily backing up as the warriors walked towards him with daggers. The closer he got to the ledge, the harder my heart pounded. Sweat was beading my forehead and I wished we could help him, but all we could do was watch.

My eyes and Garmadon's met. He had a worried and saddened expression. Even though he was the Lord of Darkness, I felt bad for him. All he wants right now is his child safe. For once we agree on something.

Lloyd's POV:

My breathing got faster and faster as I backed up more. "You're running out of room, little ninja. Why

don't you just turn yourself in now? It will be a lot less painful." If there's one thing I've learned from living with the ninja, is to never back down. I will save my friends, and these bozos won't stop me from doing that. I'm the green ninja, savior of Ninjago. The serpentine won't get in my way. EVER.

My foot hit air and I realized I was at the edge of the ledge. Dang it. A few more feet and these guys will be close enough to either push me off or slit my throat, and none of those options are rather appealing. Suddenly I saw a large rock, but I definitely could lift it. If I'm quick enough…oh man that would be awesome. Uncle told me the constricti were the dumbest tribe. Let's see if that's true.

"Hey, what's that?" I pointed to the right of the cavern. Please look, please look, please look. Yes! In one swift motion I picked up the rock and chucked it at one of the warrior's head. He crumpled to the ground and the other one just stood there in shock. Next I pulled an arrow and aimed carefully at the warrior. By the time he looked up from his friend, I fired at him. He squealed in pain and fell to the floor motionless.

Well, that went better then expected. I sprinted away from them until I was directly above the cage and a lot higher. The perfect spot. Cautiously, I pulled another arrow, avoiding the one I fired earlier, and set it on the ground and pulled some rope. I tied one end to a rock that was sticking out from the wall. The other end went on the back of one of the arrows. I tugged it to make sure it was secure, and pulled back the arrow. Carefully, I aimed at the top of the cage where I knew it would hook. Steady…aim…FIRE! I released the breath I was holding as I watched it travel to the cage. Thankfully, it was a direct hit. I yanked on the rope once more, making sure it would hold my weight, and climbed down.

Nya's POV:

Wow. I am speechless right now. Lloyd was amazing. No questions asked. I couldn't help but laugh when he threw that rock at the warrior. When I looked over my shoulder, I noticed everyone else was too, even Sensei! "That's my boy" Garmadon stated between laughs. He must be so proud. I know I would be.

When he climbed over to the cage and landed on the floor of it, he flipped off his mask, and, with that mischievous grin on his face, asked: "Miss me?" We laughed even more, which is a little surprising considering we were still trapped. "Dude that was AWESOME! You rocked that! Showed those constricti who's boss!" announced Jay. "Really? You mean that?" "Son. I'm so proud of you! You amazed me and all of us. I'm sure everyone means that." "My nephew, I never knew you had such a talent for archery. Where did you learn it?" inquired Sensei.

"I've always liked it, but I never had a chance to do it until now." He replied simply. The other ninjas mouths dropped, even Garmadon looked surprised. "You mean, you've never done it before today?" I managed to ask. " Nope." "That's, that's amazing." Cole whispered. It was then Zane spoke up. "May I remind you all we are still technically trapped?" "Oh. Right. Oh,Nya, bye the way I'm gonna need one of your hair pins." Lloyd then pulled one of my hair pins out of my pockets. "YOU WENT TO MY ROOM?!" "Well….maybe." He looked sheepish and hung his head. I smiled. "Alright kiddo I'll let it slide just this once. But if you go in my room again you will get a smack upside the head mister."

Lloyd giggled and moved over to the lock. He kneeled down and began to move the pin around until we all heard a soft click. Lloyd smiled and slowly opened the door. "Tada!" Aw, he's so cute sometimes.

Sensei Wu's POV:

After Lloyd cut the chains that held our hands to the wall, Cole ran over to my nephew and smiled a crazy grin. "Alright kiddo time for some affectionate nooging!" "ACK! No! Cole!" I smiled. Ah, youth. Lloyd started to laugh very hard, and soon we were all joining him as Cole continued to mess with him. Eventually he released him, and Cole smiled and stated: "You did good today kid. I'm proud of you." Lloyd then ran over and hugged his waist. Cole was at first surprised by this, then warmly accepted the hug.

They then separated, and Cole said to lead the way. Lloyd walked over to the rope, and examined it. "Based on how well it held my weight, no more then three people at a time." Lloyd climbed on first, and moved surprisingly fast. "Come on slow-pokes!" he commanded. I followed him, with my brother close behind. We all were in high spirits, until a dagger wizzed past my nephew's arm. "Agh!" he managed to whine, and his eyes widened when he saw his arm was bleeding. "SON! ARE YOU OK?!" my brother called. "Ugh, I think so, but I'm no doctor!" he yelled. I climbed closer to him and looked at his arm, which had a fairly deep gash running up it. I saw he was hyperventilating, and I reassured him he will be fine. Pythor, with rage in those magenta eyes, yelled to his army: "THE NINJA ESCAPED! ATTACK!"

A.N: Please don't hate me for Lloyd getting hurt, I did that souly for dramatic effect. I promise you Lloyd will not get seriously hurt during this story, and he will be fighting with his bow and arrows in the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, the rating will be extended to T because of the fight scene. Please review, and have a nice day! Oh and please no negative comments.


	3. Chapter 3

A.N: Thanks again for the awesome reviews! They mean the world to me! So, as requested, CHAPTER 3! Oh and small warning, I teared up a little while writing the end of this chapter, so if you don't like sad parts then just stop at the end of the next to last paragraph. Read on!

Lloyd's POV:

After Pythor told the serpentine to attack, I thought I would pass out right then and there. However, we could breathe easy, at least for a little while, considering the majority of them were below us and needed to climb up to reach us.

Uncle told me to keep climbing up, which was easier said than done. My arm was still bleeding, and even though Uncle told me I would be fine, I started having doubts. Whenever I tried to hoist myself up the rope with my injured arm, pain signals would shoot to my brain, as if telling me: WARNING. OW OW OW OW OW LET GO LET GO LET GO! My dad and Uncle noticed I was having trouble, and Uncle climbed closer to me and told me to climb on his back. I eventually did, and I rested my head on his shoulder and tried to relax and ignore the burning and throbbing sensation my arm was delivering.

We finally reached the ground and I got off Uncle's back. He got to his knees and told me to show him my arm, with my Dad sitting next to him. I sighed, anticipating their reactions, and rolled up my now red sleeve.

It wasn't a pretty sight. The gash went from my hand to about ¾ of the way to my elbow. It was mostly on the outside of my arm, curving inwards towards me. There was so much blood coming from it, it made me dizzy looking at it. Uncle's eyes grew and Dad gasped and looked closer at it. "Son, who did this to you?" my Dad asked. The look in his eyes was desperate and saddened. I at first thought he already knew, but then I remembered that he had just heard my cry of pain. I decided to be honest and stated: "I, I don't know Dad, the dagger just flew by me and disappeared. I didn't see." Uncle looked worried and looked closer at it, carefully turning my arm to get a better look.

When my arm turned, it started to burn, then sting, and then the pain grew the farther he bent it. I knew he was trying to see what it looked like from the inside, but the pain got unbearable and I let a cry escape my lips.

He looked surprised at this and his face grew scared and concerned. "Does that hurt you?" he shakily asked. I bit my lip and nodded. "What if I put pressure on it, see how that feels." Uncle gently pressed his palm against my wound, at first I didn't feel anything, but then that burning feeling appeared that got worse and worse. My face tensed and I let out a small shriek. Instantly he let go of the gash. Dad looked scared, which surprised me. Meanwhile Uncle was trying to get the blood off of his hand, to no avail.

I rolled down my sleeve since it seemed they were done looking at it, and I noticed it was no longer green, but now turning a crimson color. It made me feel sick. Well, at least it was my left arm, and I'm right handed. So I could still fight with my arrows, in general.

The serpentine were still trying to get up to our level. It was actually funny to watch them try to climb the steep walls, only to plummet back down. I saw Nya and the others finally got their weapons (and mec) from the chains, and the ninja started to climb the rope. In a few minutes we were all back to the ground. I walked over to the rope and gave a sharp yank with my good arm and pulled the arrow back up. Then I separated the rope from the rock on the wall and put my arrow back.

Jay, however, was the first one to notice Uncle's attempts to wipe the blood off his hands. "Hey Sensei, What happened to your hand?" "It is not what happened to me, but what happened to my nephew. Lloyd, show them your arm." Reluctantly, I rolled up my sleeve.

Their reactions were exactly what I thought they would be. Jay looked like he would puke, Kai turned as white as a sheet, Nya immediately rushed over to examine it, since she is kinda like the Bounty nurse, Cole went to Nya's side, and Zane turned away. Cole, his expression hard and stern, got to my level and asked: "Lloyd. Tell me. Who did this?" "I don't know. The dagger just cut my arm and disappeared. I didn't see who threw it." My thoughts were interrupted by a grunt behind me. The two constricti I fought earlier found us, and they didn't look happy.

One had a large welt on his forehead, and the other had a large gaping wound on his torso, which was bandaged. "Well, come back for more?" I smirked. They really were the dumbest tribe if they came back to fight me again. Besides, this time I had backup. "Not necessarily. Pythor thinks you will prove to be a valuable asset to his master plan, and is offering a high reward for you in our captivity." The bandaged one slowly said. Wait, Pythor thinks I'm valuable? Why does he want me so bad? What use would I have? Fear began to take over and I took a step back. My Dad noticed this and his face softened, then he held my hand and whispered: "Don't worry son. I won't let them lay a claw on you. They want you, they gotta go through me first." I looked up to him and smiled. Skootching closer to him, I whispered back: "Thank you Dad."

They both lunged at me, but I anticipated that and dodged. I weaved through their punches, kicks and slices with ease, not a scratch on me. I readied an arrow, and waited for an open shot. The two of them got distracted when the rest of their tribe started to climb the wall, and I knew that this was my chance. Standing next to my Dad, I pulled back the arrow to my cheek, and fired. BULLSEYE! The one with the injured forehead fell to the ground with a satisfying THUD. The other had a murderous look in his eye and threw his dagger right at my head. I just stood there, wait for it…..

"Kid, get out of the way!" yelled Kai. "I know what I'm doing! Just watch." I insisted. Right when it would have hit me, I ducked, grabbed the handle and launched it back at the warrior. Boy he wasn't expecting that! He screamed when it hit him in the temple and fell down. "Tada!" and I gestured to the defeated warriors.

Nothing but shock was registered on their faces. Jay then bellowed a "WOO HOO!" scooped me up and hugged me tight. Kai then gave me a hug and declared: "That. Was. AMAZING kiddo! I didn't know you had it in you!" I just grinned and blushed. Dad walked over to me and developed me in a big bear hug. He stroked my hair, which relaxed me, and whispered: "I am so proud son. So so proud." I rested my head against his warm chest while he held me close. It was then I wished that moments like this could last forever. I closed my eyes and enjoyed this moment while Dad continued to hold me and stroke my hair. I have never felt so safe and protected then when I was in his arms.

A roar from below interrupted us and I looked up from my Dad. All of the serpentine arrived at the top, and looked all set and ready to fight. Little did they know so were we. To my surprise, they all seemed to aim their weapons at me, paying no attention to the ninja or Uncle and Dad. Then I remembered that Pythor is offering a reward for me. Must be some reward, I thought, while I dodged a vemomari's spit. At first I was dodging their attacks without any problem, but then I soon became overpowered and got a punch to the cheek. Gonna be a bruise there later.

I was then knocked on my back and the others immediately took action. Kai helped me up while the rest of the ninja (and samurai) fought the snakes. Kai looked at Uncle and shouted: "Go get the fang blades! We'll hold them off as long as we can and meet you there!" He pushed me aside and stabbed a hypnobri in the shoulder. I ran over to Dad. He looked at me and stated: "Lloyd, brother, let's go get those fang blades!" I smiled and rushed ahead, shooting arrows at the occasional serpentine to cross our paths.

I was far ahead of them, when I saw the fang blades. The generals were also in my view. They were about 20 feet away from the blades, while the blades were about 15 feet away from me. I just stood there watching them when Dad and Uncle caught up with me. "I'll be back." I declared and rushed in. Quietly, I walked into the room and carefully hid behind a rock whenever one of the generals moved. Soon the blades were within arm's reach. I reached out and snatched them, and bolted to Dad and Uncle.

I was almost towards them when a sinister voice behind me spoke up: "Ah ah ah little one. Where do you think you're going with those?" He grabbed me by the hood and turned me around so I could face him. Him meaning…Pythor. He plucked the blades from my hand and passed them off to Skales, who put them back on the pedestal. Then he tossed me towards the wall, which I landed with a large THUD. Figures I landed into the wall injured arm first. Pain seared into my arm as I was blinking back tears. I was on my knees clutching my searing and burning arm to my chest. The pain was unbearable. Pythor grabbed my chin and turned my head so I would face him. "Yes, I believe those are mine, as well as you little one. You are mine, and don't say otherwise. I will have you, and those pesky ninja won't get in my way. And now, I have you, AND the fang blades. It is a great day, yes?" He glared down at me while I looked at the floor, not even trying to hold back the tears. They just kept on flowing. I was crying not only from the stinging, searing pain from my arm, but also because I don't see Uncle, Dad or the ninja. I was truly alone this time. Please you guys, you swore to protect me, and I need your help. I don't wanna go back with the serpentine, I was miserable there. You are my only hope. Please…I need you…

A.N: *Gasp!* Will Lloyd fall prey to Pythor, or will the ninja save him? Where are Sensei and Garmadon? Are the ninja ok? Guess what will happen in the reviews! Oh, and tell me, what was your favorite part?! I loved writing in only Lloyd's POV, but I think I'll start the next chapter with Garmadon. Anyways, REVIEW PLEASE!


	4. Chapter 4

A.N: Ok, well besides the thanks for the reviews, not much to say except: CHAPTER 4! Oh and this chapter will be THE GENERALS VS. LLOYD! YEAH! XD I'm really bad at fight scenes though, so sorry but I'm just not very good at it. I'll try my best…but after that I added more GarmadonxLloyd moments…heehee. ON WITH THE STORY!

Garmadon's POV:

I sprinted as fast as I could to where we last saw the ninja. The thought that Lloyd could be in serious danger kept me going besides the fact that my lungs were protesting every step I took.

The ninja only had about a dozen snakes left to take on before they all were defeated. My brother finally caught up with me and he called them over.

They finished up with the clobbering and rushed over. The black one immediately asked: "Where's Lloyd? Is he alright?" "We don't know. He rushed in to get the fang blades and we came to get you all.", stated my brother. "Well let's go and see if he's ok" Kai blurted. In unison we nodded and rushed to the cave. Son, please be alright. Please…

Lloyd's POV:

Pythor went over to the other generals to discuss what to do with me while I sat there trying to regain my strength. That hit to the wall really took a lot out of me, plus I think it just made my arm's condition worse.

I took a deep breath and stood up slowly and quietly. They didn't even move a muscle. If I'm gonna take them on, I better have a good memory to remember all the things the ninja taught me. Carefully reaching for an arrow, I reviewed the things I've learned, which wasn't a lot, but still the things were useful.

I pulled back the arrow and shot at Skalidor's back. He yelled in pain and spun around to face me with a look of pure rage in his golden eyes. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!". Oy vey this is gonna be hard.

Fangtom and Acidcus raced towards me while Pythor and Skales tended to Skalidor. Fangtom spun his tail to trip me but I jumped and kicked him in one of his jaws. When he clutched it I punched him in the gut. Clearly he was surprised by the fact that I could land a blow. Acidicus tried to punch me but I blocked it with my hand and flipped him over my shoulder.

When they were both distracted for a moment I scaled the wall to get to higher ground so I could shoot my arrows. "Show yourself little ninja so we can destroy you!" screamed Acidicus. I wanted to shoot him right away, but I looked around for the others. Sadly I didn't see them.

"As tempting as that offer is, no. I think I'll destroy you instead" I taunted. It was fun to mess with them. I fired some arrows at them, but they were faster than I thought they would be. However I did get Acidicus in the leg. I slid down the cliff and shot Fangtom in the tail. Then I ran like my life depended on it to the wall. "Tricking your enemy is one of the greatest battle strategies. Making them believe something and proving it wrong can definitely throw someone off guard." Cole's voice echoed in my head as I continued sprinting to the wall.

Right when I would have hit it, I put one foot on the wall, then the other, flipped over and pushed Acidicus into the rock. He instantly blacked out and hit the floor. Fangtom was close behind and looked rather scared as I turned to face him. I charged at him and he began slithering backwards. Stopping abruptly I shot an arrow right at his eye and shoved him on his back. "Leave" I said with as much scariness as I could muster. And he did.

Two down three to go. I turned to look at the other generals, all very angry with nothing but hatred in their eyes. Pythor backed up and watched closely. Coward.

Skalidor, now with a bandage wrapped around his torso, drew daggers and slithered towards me at top speed, which I noticed wasn't very fast. Wait…"Skalidor is strong, but slow. Speed is your key asset in beating him in combat. If you move faster than him, he doesn't stand a chance." Thanks Jay.

A dagger was launched at my shoulder, but I ducked and quickly punched Skalidor square in the shoulder. Rushing behind him while he clutched it in his hand, I readied and arrow and shot him in the back once more. For the time being he was down.

Skales took a different approach. "Look into my eyes ninja. I control you…" Reacting a little too late, I could almost feel my thoughts and control slipping away from me when I heard a voice yell: "SON! LOOK AWAY NOW!" I shook my head and my control was given back. The voice belonged to…DAD! A smile erupted across my face as I blocked a punch and kicked Skales in the kneecap.

The others looked like they were trying to reach me, but they were blocked by a group of hypnobri. Dang it. Well at least they were here.

Skales managed to kick me in the stomach and I staggered backwards. Groaning, I thought I would puke while Skales began to slither closer ready to deliver another blow. I regained my bearings and stabbed an arrow in his head. One left.

All eyes turned to Pythor. "You are stronger then you look little one. I almost feel sorry that I need you in my captivity." The question I have been dwelling on blurted from my lips. "Why do you need me anyway? What use would I have for you?" He chuckled and sighed. "Ah youth. So naïve, yet full of wisdom. I'm afraid that none of you ninja are allowed to know until my plan is already in motion. Until then just keep guessing and wondering my dear. All the pieces of the puzzle will soon come together."

I growled. I hated this guy. Charging towards him with an arrow at the ready, I was going to strike when he turned invisible. "Huh?" I looked back and forth, waiting for him to reappear, when pain exploded on my arm. I screamed and clutched it close, noticing there was another gash crossing over the old one. Now my arm was just a big bloody mess. Looking at it made me nauseous. Then he reappeared before me, holding a bloody dagger. Why that no good little son of a… I punched him in the gut. HARD. He stumbled backwards and doubled over. When he saw me running towards him, he disappeared. Again.

Stop doing that! Even though I knew he won't. I heard a hiss and kicked where I heard it coming and he reappeared. Instantly I shot an arrow at his tail. He squealed and glared at me. Slithering closer I began to run as fast as I could, but this guy was faster than he seemed. I felt him punch me in the back and I stumbled and turned around to see him glaring at me. He grabbed me by the neck and began to choke me. Air was slipping away and I tried to breathe, but it was so hard. He was squeezing me to tight. My lungs began to burn as he hissed into my ear: "Shame that I need you my dear. You seem to be troubled enough. Oh well." Pythor swung his staff at my feet, then he slammed his staff on my head.

Fireworks exploded in front of my eyes as I let out a "Gah" and fell to my knees. I could feel consciousness slowly slip away from me as Pythor began to chuckle. The last thing I remember seeing was Pythor glaring down at me with those cold magenta eyes.

And then the world dissolved into darkness.

Cole's POV:

I'm sure we all winced when Pythor hit Lloyd in the head. Poor kid. He's been through so much. Anger began to bubble up inside me when Lloyd passed out and fell to the floor. I would not let Pythor hurt him anymore. He would not have Lloyd again. Not this time.

I think everyone else had the same thought. Kai slammed his sword on one of the guards and I hit the rest of them with my scythe and rushed to Pythor and Lloyd. Lloyd layed motionless on the floor, but I could see his stomach rising and falling. Pythor glared at us and stated: "Well if it isn't the ninja and friends. About time you showed up. I'm sure your little friend could have used your help back there." He glanced at Lloyd and smirked. "You'll pay for hurting him." I growled. I slammed my scythe into the ground and he slithered away. Kai shot a fireball at his head and he yelped in pain in turned to face us.

"Grrr. Curse you ninjas. But I will have the boy. And you all will feel my wrath." He then disappeared into the tunnel.

We all ran over to Lloyd, who was still blacked out. I flipped him over on his back and checked for a pulse, which thankfully he still had. I looked up at the others and nodded, who sighed in relief. Garmadon was holding his hand and staring into his eyes, looking for some sign of him waking up. For the Lord of Darkness, he was a good dad.

Then I noticed something. He was breathing, yes, but it appeared that his breaths sounded strained and small, as if it was a difficult task to breathe. "Cole, what's wrong?" asked Kai, who sounded worried. "His breathing patterns sound strained and small. It appears he is having difficulty breathing." Sensei immediately put a hand to his stomach and listened. His expression darkened. "He's right. We need to get my nephew back to the bounty. He'll need some medical attention."

Garmadon instantly picked him up and held him close. We sprinted back to the bounty as fast as we could, following Sensei and his brother. I'm sure we were all thinking, please let Lloyd be alright.

Garmadon's POV:

I held my son close to me as we went back to the ship. He didn't even stir. When Cole told us he was having trouble breathing, panic took over me. I looked at him as we ran, and whispered: "Son. Please wake up. Please. You have to be ok. Wake up." Silence.

We finally got back to the ship, and Cole led me and the others to the sickbay. "My brother, Nya and I will take it from here. Go to the bridge and check for sightings. Zane, prepare dinner. Call us when it's ready." My brother ordered. "Yes Sensei." Kai took one last look at my son before he left the room with the others.

"Lay him down on the bed." Nya commanded. I did and gently placed him down and propped his head up with a pillow. I pulled up a seat next to my brother and held my son's hand. "Do you think he'll be ok?" I asked my brother. "I don't know, but we'll find out."

Nya came back with medical supplies. She brushed his bangs out of the way to reveal a large bruise on his temple. I winced along with my brother. Nya placed a bandage on the small cut on his forehead and placed a wet washcloth on his forehead and rolled up his sleeve.

As if the original wound wasn't bad enough, now there was another one equal and size, deepness and blood crossing over it. Nya carefully washed it and cleared the blood around it, but it just kept on bleeding. I then noticed how pale Lloyd looked. He did lose a lot of blood. She then grabbed some gauze and wrapped some around his arm, then placed a piece of foam underneath it. She saw my quizzical look on my face and said: "This will keep it steady while it heals." She then grabbed an ACE bandage and wrapped carefully around the gauze and foam. "There. That's as much as I can do. Now we'll see how he feels when he wakes up." She then stepped out of the room to wash her hands. I exchanged looks with my brother. His read fear and worry. That's how I feel. Huh. I turned my attention back to Lloyd. As if trying to send him a message, I thought: Please son. Wake up.

A.N: How will Lloyd feel when he wakes up? What is Pythor doing? Answer the questions in the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

A.N: Thanks again for the reviews! Sorry I haven't been updating in a while but I had SUCH a busy week. Not to mention being buried in an avalanche of homework. But anyways, CHAPTER 5! This chapter will have a lot of GarmadonxLloyd, YAY! I'm having the most fun writing those kinds of moments. They are so cute! On the downside, not a lot of action. Some totally adorable moments though, I can guarantee! Read on and review please!

Kai's POV:

As me and the others sat in the bridge, I was scared out of my mind for Lloyd. I wanted so bad to rush to the sickbay and see if he woke up, but Sensei told us to stay here.

I can't help but feel guilty about what happened back there. We could've subdued the guards at any time and help him, but instead we just stood there like statues. I swore to protect him, and we let him down. The poor thing's gonna hate me, and personally, I don't blame him.

Meanwhile another side of me wants to rip Pythor's head off for torturing the kid. Why on Earth would he want him anyway? Why Lloyd, of all people? Something in my gut tells me the devourer isn't the only thing that creep has in store for us. Maybe Sensei knows something, I hope. If that kid is in danger…

Garmadon's POV:

Such an awkward silence filled the air between me and my brother as we waited in the sickbay for my son to wake up. The next time I see that ghastly snake I swear I will slaughter him for harming my son. He still laid motionless on the bed, still breathing rather short. It scared me to see him like this. Meanwhile it was snowing outside, and I can imagine what the other ninja want to do.

My brother sighed and turned to me. "I'll go see if Zane's ready with dinner. You don't want to see how the others can act when they are hungry. Oy vey." I chuckled and he stepped out.

I turned my attention back to my son. He was as white as a sheet and breathing slowly. He still had the washcloth on his forehead and his arm was now bandaged tightly. Pythor wants him, and I don't have a clue why. Why my son? Why not someone else? Why my family….?

Suddenly Lloyd stirred, and then groaned, and then I saw a pair of sparkling sky blue eyes looking at me. "Dad?"

His voice sounded raspy, but I didn't really care. Relief filled my body as I sighed and answered: "Hello son. How do you feel?" As he stuck out his tongue I couldn't help but smile. "Bleh. Like I just got on Chuck Norris's bad side and then thrown into the washing machine power cycle." Immediately I laughed. That's my son.

Lloyd's POV:

Dad sat down on the bed next to me as I tried to sit up, but my muscles ached and protested this action. He noticed this and put a hand on my back to help me up. I smiled and looked up at him. He looked absolutely relieved.

"Dad, how long was I out?" I was confused on what time it was. I remember before I blacked out that it was late afternoon, and it looked rather dark out now. His expression darkened. "A few hours. We were so worried about you. I'm so glad you're alright." Ugh. That long? Sheesh.

Then I remembered who did this. "The next time I see Pythor I'm gonna kick his butt to kingdom come and back." And I meant it too. He's SO goin down! Dad laughed. I missed that. "Believe me son, we all do." Looking at my legs swinging back and forth, I sighed. I'm really starting to hate snakes. They cause nothing but misery.

Dad pulled me close and I snuggled against him. I missed these moments, just the two of us. I looked at my arm, which I found out that Nya bandaged. It still really hurt, but I've learned to ignore it pretty well. "How's your arm? Still hurt?" I nodded. "Dad, why does Pythor want me so bad?" He rested his head against mine. "I don't know son. Hopefully we'll find out what he wants and subdue him."

When I'm with Dad, I feel much more comfortable talking. I can open up more. Sure, the others are nice to me, and I can talk to them, but with Dad it feels more, natural. He seems to be the only one who really, truly understands me. Finally, I felt as if I was ready to admit something I've been holding back for a long, long time. "Dad?" He looked at me and I looked at him. My voice lowered to a whisper. "I'm scared."

Holding me tighter, he whispered back: "We all are. Don't worry about it. We'll protect you and all of us. You'll be ok. I promise." I felt better after he said that." Resting my head on his chest, I let a yawn escape me, and I didn't care. I was tired. Dad smiled. "Go ahead and sleep. You deserve it. I'll wake you up when it's time for dinner." Rubbing my eyes, I closed them and started to drift off. Right before I fell asleep, I could hear Dad whisper: "Sweet dreams."

Garmadon's POV:

I rubbed Lloyd's back as he snored softly. I regretted promising to him that he would be ok, because, what if he won't? He put all his trust in me, relied on me, and how would he feel if I let him down? He would never forgive me. He would be crushed. Meanwhile determination filled me. Protecting me son and brother is my main priority now. I won't let them get hurt. That I promised myself.

Speaking of my brother, he walked into the room and smiled. "Aw. That's so sweet." I looked up and smiled. "I forgot he snored. It's kinda cute" I admitted. Wu sat down next to me and held my son's hand. "I'm assuming he woke up?" "Thankfully yes. He seemed fine. He told me his arm still hurts though. I'm not surprised at all. I thought I would throw up at the sight of it." Can you blame me? It was spewing blood like a waterfall! "Yeah I almost did. I was very very close to losing my lunch. Same with my students." I laughed. Oh Wu how you make me laugh. "You're students get restless like you predicted?" Honestly, they are pretty entertaining. They all are so different, yet are so close. "A little. Zane's almost done. I am hungry." "You were always hungry! Even when we were kids you snitched cookies and crackers from the kitchen!" Remembering this always made me laugh. "You still remember that?" "Of course."

Lloyd stirred a little and snuggled closer to me, then continued to snore softly. "Now that's fatherly love" Wu stated. " I am proud of him. But at the same time, I don't really want him fighting. I don't want him getting hurt." "Understandable. He does have potential though. Archery is defiantly his hidden talent." That I was proud of. I never would have guessed. I looked down at him as he slept. He looked so peaceful and calm. "Should we wake him? Zane should have dinner ready any minute now" My brother said. "Let him rest. He needs it. He must be exhausted. I'll wake him up when it's ready." Wu nodded and looked at the floor. "So, what do you think about Pythor? Any ideas? Cause I'm clueless, as my students would put it."

"Lloyd asked me about this. Honestly, I don't know either. It worries me how secretive he's being." And I meant it.

"DINNER!" Wu smiled. "I'll go help him." Then he walked out of the room.

Looking at my son, I almost felt sorry that I have to wake him. He looked so, at ease. Resting without a care in the world. "Son. Wake up. Time for dinner." I jiggled his shoulder. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, looking at me. Smiling at me, he asked: "Then why are we here? Let's go!" He hopped off the bed and walked out of the room. "Wait for me son." I called. I wondered how dinner will go down…

A.N: Sorry it's not that long. Alright, now remember that it's snowing outside. I got an idea for a little snow scene I think you all will enjoy. But first the ninja excluding Lloyd will find out Pythor's plans. For Lloyd and for Ninjago. But first I need you to help me out. Tell me which you would rather do: Have me write from only the four ninja's POVs as they encounter Pythor, or from Lloyd, Garmadon, Sensei and Nya's POVs and have the ninja tell them what happened to them and his plans. I have no idea what to do! So help me choose please. Anyway, tell me what to do and tell me your thoughts about this chapter! Thanks and have a nice day!


	6. Chapter 6

A.N: As requested by guest I made the povs bold, thanks for telling me. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I FINALLY figured all the kinks for this story, such as why Pythor wants Lloyd (It has nothing to do with the devourer, I hated the devourer thing, snakes worshipping a bigger snake seems cheesy to me.) So I came up with a different scheme for Pythor. You will feel SO sorry for Lloyd! Oh, and this chapter will be mostly from Lloyd, Garmadon, Sensei Wu and Kai's povs. Anyways, CHAPTER 6!

**Kai's POV: **

When Lloyd walked in with his father, I felt so relieved that I scooped Lloyd up in a big hug and whispered in his hair: "Thank goodness you're alright." I kept on holding him until I heard him mutter: "Crushing me…"

Instantly I put him down, and he gave me this goofy grin while looking up at me. At first I found this kid annoying, but now I can't imagine my life without him. After the hugging incident we all sat down at the table, Sensei at the head of it, me Cole and will be Zane on his left, and Garmadon Jay and Lloyd on his right.

I heard a faint gurgle and Jay gave a quizzical look at Lloyd. "Dude is that you?" The kiddo blushed and sunk down in his seat. "Maybe…" I laughed. "Guess someone's hungry. Zane, you almost done in there?!" "Just a minute." Lloyd sighed.

Finally Zane came in with grilled chicken and mashed potatoes. Jay screeched a "WOO HOO! YEAH!" We piled everything on our plates and began to eat. "Yet another successful meal chef Zane" I commented. The chicken was SO GOOD. "Thank you Kai." I scarfed down another bite when the alarm went off to tell us there was another serpentine sighting.

"OH COME ON! NOW WHO'S GONNA EAT THE CHICKEN!?" screamed Jay. Everybody piled into the bridge. "Looks like the serpentine want to freeze their scales off if they want to slither around in this weather. And they're in the Glacier Barrens? Are they insane?" asked pipsqueak.

"But why are they there of all places? If they want to release the devourer, shouldn't they go to Ourobourous?" inquired Nya. They both had a point. This had nothing to do with what they are planning. Either they are taking a shortcut to who knows where or Pythor officially lost it.

Sensei looked like he was trying to solve one of those rubix cubes or something. He seemed in deep thought. Finally he stated: "Nya, set the course to Glacier Barrens. When we arrive you ninja investigate. Lloyd, you stay here with me Nya and your father." Lloyd managed to say an exasperated "Fine."

When we arrived it looked like it was snowing harder than before. We bundled up and trudged ahead to squash some serpentine. Again. I turned around to see shrimpy waving goodbye and he yelled a "GOOD LUCK!" I saluted back. Something told me we would need it.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

After the ninja left my brother, nephew and Nya went back to the dining room. "More for us!" exclaimed Lloyd. Me and my brother managed a chuckle. My nephew devoured his chicken before us and started playing with his fork.

Nya then shivered. "Is it me or is it cold in here?" Lloyd curled up in a little ball and mumbled: "Yeah I'm cold too. But I guess it's what we get for parking in Glacier Barrens." "Kiddo go get your coat and I'll build a fire." He nodded and walked out of the room. Nya began collecting some wood. "Need some help?" I asked. "No I got it. Isn't it weird how the serpentine are here and not, well, not HERE? It's freezing!"

"It is rather strange. It also worries me. I think the devourer wasn't their only intention." My brother was right. It's all I was thinking about. Something about it just didn't add up. "Well what else would they want? The devourer seems to be all that Pythor wants. Maybe they forgot a fang blade or they still need something to release it" my nephew stated as he walked into the room. He now had on his black parka and a hat. The hat looked like the head of the panda and was very fluffy with ears.

Nya smirked. "Some hat you got there Lloyd." He blushed. "What? I like pandas!" She laughed. Finally the fire sparked and the fireplace was engulfed in light.

"Hey, I have an idea. Lloyd, go get marshmallows from your candy stash." Nya had this mischievous grin on her face. Lloyd came back with the marshmallows and she had chopsticks with her. Smiling, she put the marshmallows on the sticks and held out one to each of us. "Cool! It's like camping!" exclaimed my nephew. He stuck his marshmallow in the fire, and then took it out. A shriek escaped him when he noticed it was on fire. Frantically blowing on his marshmallow, the rest of us laughed whiles he blowed. When the flames were out he chomped on the sticky treat. This could be fun.

**Later…**

When the marshmallow party was drawing to a close, the ninja finally returned, covered with snow. "Yay you're back!" stated my nephew with his mouth full of marshmallow. "HEY! YOU'RE EATING MARSHMALLOWS WITHOUT US?!" screamed Jay. "Hey nice hat Lloyd" stated Cole. "Thanks."

"So, what happened?" inquired Nya. "Oy. Lots of things." Zane looked grim. "Well after subduing the army, it was just us and the generals. Pythor eventually, with us prying, admitted that the devourer was never their plan. We then found this after they escaped." Zane then pulled out an old scroll. I took it from him and carefully unraveled it. Clearing my throat, I began reading: _"When the 5 scrolls unite as one, the path to the image of shadows has begun. After 4 scrolls are found, the 5__th__ one needs a soul. This soul must be a descendent of Ninjago's creator, and has a heart of gold. This soul is young, and full of joy. And is a crucial part of the serpent's ploy."_

Silence. All eyes turned to my nephew. That's why the serpentine needed him. They needed his soul to awaken the "image of shadows." Tears welled in his eyes and he stormed out of the room sobbing. "Oh no." Kai whispered. "Well that explains a lot now, doesn't it?" muttered Jay.

My brother looked like he swallowed a slug, and then left the room. I followed him. The other ninja seemed to get the message: Find Lloyd.

**Garmadon's POV:**

As I raced through the ship with my brother behind me, my mind couldn't focus after what Wu read from the scroll. The serpentine wanted to kill my son. KILL HIM. What could they possibly want for them to go so far as to kill someone? Oh yeah. The "Image of Shadows." I have been the ruler of the underworld for years and not once have I heard of such a thing.

Rushing throughout the hallways I heard a small whimper. I peered into the room to see a large lump under Lloyd's bed. I turned to my brother, who looked to be on the verge of tears. Then I stepped into the room.

"Lloyd. It's Dad. You can come out. It's alright. Honest." I was on the brink of tears myself. After what my son just heard, I'd be surprised if he came out at all. "My nephew, you can't hide under there forever." Wu had a point. "Yes I can" Lloyd declared between sobs. "Son we won't let them get you. It'll be alright." I wasn't so sure, but I hated it when he cried. It made me feel like I failed him. "How do you know?!" he shrieked. I was taken aback by this statement. He hardly ever snapped. But, he is upset.

"Good. You guys found him." I turned around to face Kai. He walked over and kneeled down by the bed. "Kiddo its Kai. Listen, you know us. We'll squash those guys way before they get the 5th scroll. We've kicked their butts before. They may have fooled us now, but never again. Me and the others will do everything we can to protect you. And if they do get you, which is highly unlikely, you have absolutely every right to be mad at us." Lloyd crawled out to reveal a tear stained face. "Promise?" Kai smiled. "Promise."

"Now, we are in a place surrounded by snow. It would be a shame not to put it to good use." Kai smiled. "I got a sled for me and the others. Grab one and meet me outside. SLED RACE!" Lloyd laughed and rushed out the door.

I was baffled. I'm his father, and I couldn't get him out, but HE could?! Maybe that egotistical hot-head and I have more in common than I originally thought. We both seem to care deeply for Lloyd. Huh. I might just be annoyed by him a little less now.

**Lloyd's POV: **

The wind whipping through my hair and stinging my face made me feel better about the whole serpentine thing as I flew down the hill on my sled. Kai was right. They won't get me. The whole thing was a little overwhelming though.

At last I crossed our little finish line just seconds before Cole. "That was awesome!" I declared. Because it was. I watched as Jay and Zane hiked up the hill to race each other. "READY. SET. GO!" yelled Kai. And then they were off. We did this over and over again. And it was fun every time.

By the time I finished going down the 12th time, Cole said it was getting dark and we should head back. I was starting to get cold, and so was everybody else. As we turned around, I ended up face to face with an armada of hypnobri. "Hello ninja" said a scout. "Time to play." Instantly we all bolted. The snakes were blocking the way back to the bounty, so we had to go in the opposite direction.

Man, it's hard to run in the snow! Especially since it was still snowing rather hard and the snow was up past my ankles. Everybody seemed to manage though. Looking behind me, I smiled when I noticed that we were losing them, when I slipped and fell on my butt. I realized we were all standing on a frozen lake.

"Keep going! We have to lose them!" screamed Cole. I obeyed and carefully slid along. Soon me and the others were in the middle. "Wait, why aren't they following us?" I asked. They were just standing on the ice close to the ground. One pulled out a dagger. Uh oh. "You all need to chill out!" He cackled. Then struck the dagger in the ice. **_CRACK._** A crack began to trail closer and closer to us. "The ice! It's gonna break!" yelled Jay. "What do we do?" I asked, more screamed. Before anyone could answer my question, the ice under our feet collapsed, and I was underwater.

**Jay's POV:**

My lungs began to burn as I was slowly sinking. At first I was confused as to what the heck was going on, but then I remembered. _You're drowning idiot! _I frantically swam until my head broke the surface and gasped for air. Nobody but me was there. "Guys? Guys!?" A white blob came up to reveal it was Zane. "Where are the others?" he questioned. "No idea." Cole then came up. "Is everyone ok?" he immediately asked. "Think so" I answered. About 2 minutes later Kai surfaced. A minute after that was Lloyd.

Lloyd was shivering and his lips were blue. Same with Kai. "Nnnow wwwhat?" Lloyd stuttered. Gosh the kid was shaking so bad, he could make the earth tremble. "The radio said the snow was supposed to get more powerful tonight, followed by a blizzard. We can't travel back to the bounty in this weather. Let's go find some shelter and warm up" commanded Cole.

We climbed out of the icy cold water and trudged along, I could barely see and I was soaking wet. Fun. Up ahead of me Cole was holding Lloyd's hand and guiding him through. Cole was shivering too, but not as bad as Kai and Lloyd. Zane seemed fine. Then again he is a robot.

After several minutes of trudging, we finally saw a small cave. Instantly we barreled inside. It wasn't exactly homey, but it was shelter.

"I'll go collect some sticks so we can start a fire. You guys stay here and try and get settled. We may be here a while." Cole walked deeper into the cave while the rest of us took a seat on the floor. "Kiddo you could start an earthquake if you don't stop shaking" I commented. Sheesh. "It's not llike I'mmm dddddoing it on pppurpppose. I'm fffffreezing." Kai skootched over and put an arm around him while they both shivered. Lloyd buried his head in his chest. I leaned against Kai's shoulder. Normally I wouldn't do this at home, but I was so cold. Besides, He didn't argue with it.

Cole came back with an armful of sticks and dropped them on the ground. "Kai, could you light the sticks on fire?" "Sure." Finally we had fire. Cole sat down next to Lloyd and rubbed his back. "Hey pipsqueak, lemme see your arm." Lloyd rolled up his sleeve. The bandage, gauze and foam were all dripping wet and ruined. "Does it still hurt?" He nodded. "Yeah bbbut I ccccan ignore it nnnnow."

A huge gust of wind got us all trembling. "I used to like winter, but now I'm having second thoughts" Cole stated. A rumble above us silenced him. Zane looked frightened. "If the wind keeps going strong like this, the snow will fall off and block the entrance!" "Well it's nnot like wwwwe can leave." Kai had a point. You would have to be a complete moron to go anywhere in this weather.

"ACHOO!" We all turned to Lloyd. "Sssorry." Cole put a hand to his forehead. "Kiddo you're burning up. You feel ok?" He pouted. "I've fffelt bbbbetter." "ACHOO!" "Bless you" said Zane. Then Lloyd went through a massive coughing fit. Cole looked concerned. Kai looked like he would pass out or puke.

Then Kai sneezed. Great. Hope I don't get sick. "So, what's the plan?" I asked. Cole sighed. "The blizzard's showing no sign of stopping. Guess we'll have to spend the night and wait for rescue." Joy. Wonder how Nya, Sensei and Garmadon are doing. The must be worried sick about what happened to us. Hope they're ok.

**Nya's POV: **

"They've been gone a long time" I pointed out. "Oh, I hope their ok" said a concerned Sensei. "Wait! Kai has a wrist communicator I gave to him! I'll call them." After a few minutes I received: "Hello?" Kai! "Kai its Nya. WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GUYS?" "It's Cole Nya. We ran into some snakes. They led us out on the ice and it broke on us." We all gasped. "Are you all ok?" asked Sensei. "Yeah I guess. We are all soaking wet, freezing, and I think Kai and Lloyd are getting sick since they were underwater the longest." A sneeze, followed by a lot of coughing, was heard in the background. "Yeah that was Lloyd. We are holding up ok though. Found a cave to hide out in." "Ninja. Wait until the storm blows over and we'll rendezvous." Sensei was right. Then I heard a lot of static. "Nya, it's the wind. We are breaking up. Got to go."

"Oh no." I moaned. "Guess all we can do was wait.

A.N: TADA! Tell me your thoughts. Didn't like then don't review. I'll try and work on chapter 7 and post it by next week. Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

A.N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter will be mainly focused on the ninja in the storm. Plus a little glimpse into Pythor! Hope you enjoy it! Read and review please! CHAPTER 7!

**Cole's POV:**

The wind continued howling, and all of us tried our best to keep warm, to some difficulty. Lloyd was still coughing and sneezing, and I felt bad for him. He was still curled up in a little ball trembling.

"So, anyone want to hear a joke?" asked Jay. "You know Jay's scared when he's asking permission to tell a joke" I commented. It's true. Jay usually tells a joke whether we like it or not. A snore interrupted my thoughts, only to find out it was coming from Zane. "Looks like fffrosty's tired" stated hot-head. He still was shivering and sick, like Lloyd.

I skootched over to the pipsqueak and pulled him into a hug, since I could tell he was miserable. He sniffed and gladly accepted the hug. "So kiddo, did you like sledding? Well, minus getting stuck out here?" He looked up at me, grinned and nodded. "Yeah. I've never been sledding before today and it was really fun." Surprised by this, I asked: "How come? At your old school didn't your teachers let you outside?" Lloyd looked at the floor. "Well yeah, they did, but they wouldn't let me play. Same when I wanted to have a snowball fight. Nobody really liked me. Normally I built a snowman by myself, until people would throw rocks at it, and me." I was shocked by this. I never knew Lloyd had bullies, and I never knew the kids at his old school could be so cruel. "Well you have us to play with now." And I meant it. He smiled at me, and then started coughing again. I felt his forehead, which was sweltering hot. When he was finally done coughing, he crawled back over to me and leaned against my shoulder. I noticed Shrimpy's eyes grow heavy and I smiled as I watched him drift off. I promised myself I would protect this kid at all costs. This I swore. I sighed as I watched the flames flicker over the cave walls, waiting for what would be next.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

As me, my brother and Nya waited out the storm by candlelight; my worry began to increase the longer we sat. After Nya ended the transmition, fear entered me. I always worried for my students' safety, even though I knew they were beyond capable of handling themselves, as their mentor and form of guidance I have a right to worry. Especially since Cole said my nephew and Kai were sick. Lloyd's safety in particular seemed to be on my brother's mind. He stared into the flames of the candle. Nya was reading a book. Time was ticking by unbearably slow, but it didn't exactly help that we lost power, so we were temporarily stranded.

"How much longer until the storm wears off?" inquired my hopelessly impatient brother. "I'll turn on the radio" Nya offered and turned on the rusted piece of technology. "_Hello Ninjago! Gale Gossip here on NRG47 radio on the weather. As you all probably know, the storm still rages, breaking all local records for most amount of snowfall! According to our weather team, the storm will still continue until about 5:00 tonight. Until then, stay warm and indoors!"_ My brother groaned. It was only 11:00 in the morning, according to the clock in Nya's room. Pulling a book from the nearby shelf, the wind howled by my ear. I only hoped the ninja and my nephew are ok.

**Pythor's POV:**

"I TOLD YOU ALL TO AMBUSH THE NINJA, NOT TURN THEM INTO POPSICALS! " Gah, these blasted hypnobri can't do anything right. I give them a simple task to ambush the ninja and capture the boy, and what do they do? Drive them in to the lake. To a hypnobri, I apparently am speaking Portuguese.

As I dismissed them, I sat on the chair and rubbed my temples. Sheesh being a leader is exhausting work. All will be worth it though when we release the image of shadows. The ninja don't stand a chance against him. And Ninjago will be mine. Figures the ninja foiled our plans on getting the first scroll, so annoying, but perhaps this storm could be the perfect cover. After all, it is the scroll of frost, and the hypnobri are nearly immune to this weather. Perfect.

"Skales I have the most brilliant idea." My slightly disloyal number 2 slithered to my side. "Yes your eminence?" "Your tribe is immune to weather like this. Perhaps we could send a band to retrieve the first scroll. The ninja won't expect a thing. But please do not send any of the snakes that just arrived. Their foolishness earns them nothing. "A lovely idea sir, I assume my advice has gone through, hm?" Grr. Skales sometimes irks me. Yes he is a rather brilliant second-in-command. But he seems to like to rub in my face my rather idiotic plan to release the devourer. He just happened to convince me of this new plan and ditch the devourer completely. I did favor this idea better, but I worry my subjects seem to favor him over me.

"Never you mind. Just get a band together and send them out." "As you wish." I slithered down the hall to my quarters. The one true place where I can be alone. I took a seat and took in my thoughts. I knew that this was a far better plan then the devourer. The image of shadows I thought was only a myth. Apparently not. The legends state he possesses unspeakable power, same with his apprentice. People who do believe the legend fear to speak his name. No one knows what he looks like, only that he appears to be see-through with piercing violet eyes that look deep into your soul. If I could rule Ninjago with him and my army, I'd be a legend. This thought comforted me as I fell asleep to the sweet thought of me taking over…

**Cole's POV:**

Hours dragged on as the storm continued to rage. We passed the time by telling stories, but the horror of Jay's story was still fresh in my mind. "I can't believe you managed to make the auditorium fill with smoke during the science fair!" "Yeah my principal was so mad, he would have had smoke coming out of his ears if he wasn't so cold hearted." We all laughed at the thought. Lloyd was in hysterics, which warmed my heart. If only it warmed the rest of my body…

"So Kai, you got a story?" He pondered this for a moment. "Actually, I think I do. When Nya and I were 8, we ran into a small wildlife problem…"

_"Kai! Slow down! I'm not as fast as you!" The young boy of 8 laughed as his twin attempted to catch him as he raced through the woods. Kai, ignoring his parents' warnings, drifted into the woods wanting to explore. Nya, not wanting her brother to get in trouble or get hurt, reluctantly followed him._

_The woods were forbidden for young children such as them because of the animals that lived there. The woods were vast, and the twins had only seen a small portion of it when camping. Many local farmers exaggerated the animals to scare the local children into not going there. Kai saw through this and wanted to see if the stories were true._

_"Kai this is dumb, mom and dad will be so mad when they find out about this." "Sis, look around. Admit you always wanted to see what was in here." Nya took a moment to take in the surroundings. She did have to admit, it was breathtaking. With tall majestic pines and the cool shaded nooks, the satisfying CRUNCH of twigs and the faint trickle of running water, Nya was fascinated. _

_The twins walked in silence, enjoying the cool summer evening with a breeze. Why the locals didn't want them to come here, Kai didn't know. It was awesome! So many cool trees to climb and rocks to collect! He could stay here all night, if he could._

_A faint buzz caused the twins to switch to high alert. Slowly approaching the noise, they were both relieved to see it was only a bee hive. "Cool! A bee hive! Mom and Dad would be so happy if we brought back honey for them." Kai cautiously moved to the bees as Nya stood back, as she was allergic. "Kai, maybe you shouldn't do this…" "Relax Nya, I'll be fine, I'm not scared of some dinky little group of-"A growl prevented him from finishing. Kai slowly looked up, only to be face to face with a wild black bear._

_Kai, petrified with fear, couldn't bring himself to move, along with his twin, who was as still as a statue. The bear sniffed Kai's signature spikey hair, as he began to quiver with fear. The bear's attention averted to the honey, and lumbered towards it without a care in the world. A sigh of relief dared to escape the young boy as the bear inspected his treat. Seeing as the bear was distracted, Kai slowly began to walk away, motioning for his sister to do the same. This worked, for a moment, until Kai and Nya heard the unmistakable snap of a twig. The bear's head shot up, and trotted over to the pair. Kai tried to move away, but the bear simply followed him. There was no way out, unless…_

_Being 8 and it being before dinner, Kai naturally brought some leftover turkey sandwich. Slowly and carefully he reached for the sandwich and unwrapped it. "Hey big guy, want a sandwich?" The bear was expressionless. Kai, taking a deep breath, threw the sandwich into the woods. The bear, catching a whiff, walked after the sandwich and out of sight._

_"You idiot. I told you not to come here! But you wouldn't listen." Kai sighed, knowing his sister was right. "Yeah yeah yeah, just promise me not to tell mom or dad about this, alright?" "Deal." And the twins sprinted away from the woods._

The cave exploded with laughter. "Dude, I can't believe you threw away a perfectly good sandwich!" exclaimed Jay. "That's what you got from that?!" screeched Kai.

Everyone calmed down and soon, the only sounds heard were the crackling of the fire and Lloyd's occasional coughing and sneezing. He was weak and slightly dazed from fever, which worried me. I hope he'll be alright and feel better soon. His forehead was still boiling hot.

I looked outside, and was surprised to see that there was hardly any snow falling anymore. "Hey, guys, look." Everyone turned their heads. Then looks of pure happiness was registered on everyone's faces, even mine. Instantly we all gathered our things, and there wasn't a lot, and barreled out the entrance.

**Garmadon's POV:**

My brother and I anxiously waited for the ninja and my son's return. The storm had finally stopped, about time, but they still weren't back yet.

Suddenly, the 4 ninja and Lloyd barged into the room. They were covered in snow and clearly exhausted. I caught a glimpse of my son, who didn't look so good. He seemed dazed and tired, and was evidently cold. "Thank goodness you all are ok!" exclaimed my brother. I was relieved as well.

Everyone piled into the room with blankets. Lloyd climbed up next to me and rested his head on my chest. I smiled. Soon everyone drifted off except me. Well, at least that's what I thought. "Dad, I can't sleep." His voice sounded scratchy. "Son, are you feeling alright?" He shrugged. I put a hand to his forehead, concerned at how hot it was. "ACHOO!" Ok, now it was clear he was sick. His body shook from a chill and snuggled closer to me. His eyes grew heavy and let out a yawn, but I knew a way to get him to sleep.

_"Feeling my way through the darkness_

_Guided by a beating heart_

_I can't tell where the journey will end_

_But I know where to start_

_They tell me I'm too young to understand_

_They say I'm caught up in a dream_

_Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes_

_Well that's fine by me_

_So wake me up when it's all over_

_When I'm wiser and I'm older_

_All this time I was finding myself, and I_

_Didn't know I was lost"_

I was happy to discover that he was fast asleep. "Sleep well son, and feel better."

A.N: Ok, I don't know about you guys, but I think that was my best chapter! Do you agree? Did you like it? Tell me your thoughts! Thanks and have a good day/night! Oh and personally i don't know why I chose wake me up by avicci, I just thought it was fitting.


	8. Chapter 8

A.N: 'Sup? Ok, thanks for the reviews, as always. Oh, and I felt bad for Lloyd, having all these bad things happen to him, so I came up with…Lloyd having a crush! Heehee, ok please enjoy! CHAPTER 8!

**Garmadon's POV:**

As I slowly awoke to the sunshine streaming in the room, I was immediately aware of my son snoring peacefully on my lap, using my legs as a pillow. Smiling, I put a hand on his forehead, which was still sweltering. Carefully, I separated myself from him and propped up his head with a pillow. I noticed all the others were still asleep except for my brother. I wandered into the kitchen, seeing Wu making some tea.

"Morning brother" he greeted. I greeted him back and leaned against the wall, unsure of what to say or do. We still didn't have electricity, sadly, and it was too early to make breakfast. "Lloyd feeling any better?" my brother inquired. "I felt his forehead, and it was still hot." "Perhaps we can take his temperature" he suggested. I followed him into the bathroom, watching him grab a thermometer and carefully step over Kai, who somehow fell asleep on the floor, and make his way to Lloyd.

He was so cute, drooling on the pillow and snoring softly without a care in the world. Wu stuck the thermometer in his mouth, and Lloyd didn't even stir. After a few moments, both of us heard a soft beep. Wu pulled it out to reveal: 104.3. Instantly I felt scared. Wu saw this and smiled. "Don't worry. We can get medicine for him when the power comes back on. Until then he needs his rest." This made me feel better.

A yawn from Jay caused us to turn our heads. Jay's storm grey eyes fluttered open and he groggily stated: "Ugh. I officially hate winter." I chuckled. "Believe me. So do I." Jay sighed and sat up on the couch. "So, what time is it?" "Around 9:00" answered my brother. Jay's attention turned to hot-head on the floor. Eyebrows arched, he muttered: "I don't even wanna know…." Wu and I laughed. It was nice to laugh after all that has happened over the past few days.

**Later….**

Soon the only people still asleep were Kai and Lloyd. Wasn't surprised about my son, he's had a long day. As for hot-head, well I just kinda expected that from him.

Everyone was laughing at the tales the ninja had to spin, especially the ones that were told in the cave. Somehow, I feel like losing the power was a good thing. It gave me a chance to have the ninja trust me a bit more. I couldn't leave now, not with my son in danger of being killed. The thought of that, it always seemed to bring me to the brink of tears.

Speaking of my son, he finally stirred and we all saw a pair of sky blue eyes looking at us. "Whoa. Did I miss something?" I chuckled. "No, not much son." Then he entered a coughing fit. I sat down next to him until he was done. "God I hate this." "Don't blame you kiddo" stated Jay. Lloyd's voice still sounded like a combination of sandpaper and a washboard, really really scratchy.

"Well, since it's clear that we need to stock up on food and medicine, one of us should go into town and pick up some items. Some of the stores in town have reopened because the storm passed." Nya was right, as usual. "I guess I'll go" volunteered Cole. After getting bundled up, he wished us good luck and stepped outside.

**Cole's POV:**

Finally I entered town. The small village outside of Glacier Barrens is never very crowded, and is always covered in a blanket of snow, year-round. It's always a popular vacation spot in the winter time, and you will always seem to see kids sledding and building snowmen in the crisp winter air.

After paying for my items and stepping out of the convenience store, I was hit right square in the face with a snowball. As if I wasn't cold enough. Some local kids were having a snowball fight, and one of them obviously needs to work on his aim.

I continued walking down the street until I was almost in the town square. Suddenly I heard the voice of a young girl calling for help. I saw her running down the path, being chased by a group of Venomari. I put down the groceries and took out my scythe. While chasing them, I struck it into the ground, causing the earth to tremble. The 6 snakes were caught off balance and fell to the ground. The girl just stood behind some crates and watched. I approached the snakes, and with as much hatred in my voice as I could muster, commanded them to leave. They did, and sprinted in the opposite direction.

I turned my attention to the girl. When I saw her face more clearly, I gasped.

"Zoe?"

"Cole?"

**Lloyd's POV:**

Note to self: NEVER WALK ON A FROZEN LAKE. Ugh I feel horrible. I'm constantly going from being cold, to hot, to cold again. My throat hurts so bad it hurts to talk. My nose is all stuffy and I seem to be coughing so much I'm surprised a lung hasn't some out. After trying to eat breakfast I just puked it back up again. Now I feel so nauseous I can't keep anything down, not even water! Yep, living the dream.

I was sitting down on the couch trying to focus on not throwing up (for the 3rd time today) when Cole came back, but with a girl. I nearly fell off the couch when I saw her. She had short dark brown hair a little bit above her shoulders that was super curly. Her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle. She was about my height, maybe a little taller. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. All I could think was: hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot. Jay looked curious. "Dude, who's the girl?" "This is Zoe, my sister. We were separated as kids, and now I finally found her." "You never told us you had a sister" commented Zane. "I didn't really like to talk about it." She smiled, hot, and waved at us.

Uncle walked over to her. "Hello Zoe. Welcome to the Destiny's Bounty." "Thank you. So far it looks amazing." "Well I'm Sensei Wu, this is my brother Garmadon, and my students,Jay, Kai, Zane, and my nephew Lloyd." I froze when he introduced me. Oh man what should I say?! The only thing I could manage to say was: "Um, hi!" Grr I'm such an idiot. She must think I'm a weirdo. I could feel my cheeks turn 10 shades of red. Instead of thinking I'm weird, like I thought, she smiled at me! SHE SMILED AT ME! Oh man victory!

Dad noticed this and grinned. So did Uncle. The others looked like they were trying not to laugh. Oh no. "So Lloyd, why don't you show Zoe around?" suggested Jay. Is this payback Jay for me messing with your sparring robot? IS THIS YOUR REVENGE? Now I'll probably make a fool of myself. But, no use getting out of it. "Sure. Um, follow me." "Sweet! Can't wait!" I blushed again. She was so pretty. And I led her out of the room. Before I left I mouthed: HELP ME! Cause based on the way I acted around her, I'm gonna need it.

**Jay's POV:**

The second Lloyd and Zoe left me and Kai started laughing. Oh man that was funny! Lloyd Garmadon, who was once famous for thinking girls had cooties, has a crush! Nya smiled. "Stop it you two, I think its sweet the pipsqueak's found love." "Nya he was as red as a tomato when he tried to talk to her. Admit he's hopeless." Kai had a point. "Yeah. Can't argue with that." Sensei Wu smiled. "Ah young love is a beautiful thing." Garmadon nodded in agreement. "Well he's gonna need our help, so let's follow them" I suggested. We all agreed and set out.

We found them in the bridge. "And this is the bridge. This is where we find out what's going on in Ninjago. It comes up on this monitor, and this alarm goes off." "Wow. That's really cool!" We could see pipsqueak's face turn bright red again. Oy vey. "Yeah the first time you hear the alarm, well, let's just say it's louder then you may think." Zoe smiled, causing Lloyd to blush. "Good warning admiral!" Then they both started laughing. "Aw. That is so cute!" whispered Nya. I shushed her.

"So, where do you guys train?" "Oh, that's on the main deck. Come on!" The pair raced over to the stairs. "Wait! It's more fun if you slide down the banister. Like this." Lloyd sat in the railing and slid down, yelling WOO HOO! And landed on the floor, surprisingly on his feet. "Come on! Try it!" Zoe instantly slid down. "WAIT FOR ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY FIRST!" _CRASH. _Then we heard an eruption of laughter. "That was awesome!" cried Zoe. "Told you!"

The rest of us followed them onto the main deck. "Where's the training equipment?" she inquired. "You gotta press this switch. " Lloyd gestured to the switch on the wall. "You can press it if you want." Zoe punched the button and the course popped up. "That is AWESOME!" Zoe screeched.

Lloyd and Zoe sat down on the bench. Aw, romantic moment. "So, you guys gone on any cool missions?" Lloyd blushed again. "I'm not really the person to ask. I don't really go on missions. You can ask your brother though. He and the others have been on all kinds of adventures." "How come you don't go on any missions? That must be fun, beating up bad guys." Lloyd sighed. "I don't really know. They just think I'm a kid that needs all this attention and protection and can't fight, which I HATE. I like beating things up and fighting. But they don't really seem to get that. And, not only are they the best friends I've ever had, they're the ONLY friends I've ever had. And I don't want to ruin that and get in the way. Besides, they probably think I'll screw everything up, and their probably right." "That stinks. But hey, if it makes you feel any better, you seem like you can kick some serious snake butt to me." "Thanks Zoe."

Awkward silence. We all looked at each other. I never knew that's how he felt that way. And, he's right. We do treat him like that. But the past few days have shown that he can take care of himself. He's a really tough and brave kid in a small package.

Lloyd reached into his pockets and pulled out a Twix bar. "Hey, want a Twix?" "Are you kidding? I love Twix! Thanks!" The kiddo blushed and answered: "No problem." ACHOO! "Bless you" said Zoe with a mouthful of candy. "So Lloyd, you like comics?" asked Zoe. "Yeah, how'd you know?" She smiled. "I can always tell. Star Farer's my favorite." "Really? Mine too!" The next few minutes turned into a heated comic book conversation. "Yeah I'm outta here" I declared. Everyone agreed. Lloyd seemed to be ok. He's becoming quite the Romeo. I smiled as me and the others left the two love birds in peace.

A.N: Awwwww….Lloyd has a crush! J Did you like it! Do you like the LloydxZoe pairing? Should I do more LloydxZoe moments or cut down? Review please!


	9. Chapter 9

A.N: Ok, now, the Lloyd and Zoe relationship. I will have little moments between them and small adorable conversations, but nothing more. But, I need to have a backstory for why Cole and Zoe were separated. That will be revealed this chapter. Please note that Zoe is not a ninja, she is a minor character that I will have appear maybe once or twice per chapter. Now that I've made that clear, thanks for the reviews! Let's get this show on the road, shall we? CHAPTER 9!

**Sensei Wu's POV: **

The past few days have been looking up for us. The power came back on and we are sailing above once again. There haven't been a lot of serpentine attacks, and Zoe has been getting along with everyone on the ship. My nephew is still sick though, but he seems to be in better spirits whenever Zoe is around. It was nice to see Lloyd playing with someone his own age.

Everyone was gathered at the table for breakfast, and thankfully it was Zane's turn. Lloyd and Zoe were goofing around with their food and cracking each other up and Jay was trying to beat his record for most pancakes eaten in 1 minute. He is up to 3, and it is rather humorous to watch.

The one thing that was on my mind was what my nephew said to Zoe. He said that we think that he can't fight, and that we think he would screw up everything. What troubled me the most was that he thought he would mess up too, he didn't have the confidence. Maybe it's time we changed that.

After breakfast Lloyd and Zoe went to play on the main deck. Cole cleared his throat. "Is it me, or do you guys feel like we shouldn't have spied on Lloyd and my sister?" "Yeah, but in a way what he said about how we treat him is right. But, he's a tough kid. Just in a small package" said Kai. My brother nodded. "He's right. I never expected my son to be capable of the feats he had performed in the past few days. He just is low on confidence, which is never a good thing, or so I have been told." "I agree. He can do way more then he gives himself credit for. The kid's too modest" added Jay. "So, what do we do?" inquired Cole. "Here's a thought: Teach the kid something!" exclaimed Kai. "The first thing we learned was hand to hand combat. Can't hurt to try." "Very well. Let's see what he's doing with Zoe" I instructed.

**Lloyd's POV:**

I was playing tag with Zoe on the main deck when the others came outside. Ignoring this, I kept on running as fast as my legs could carry me from Zoe, but she was REALLY fast! "Wait, Lloyd, we wanna talk to you! Time out! Time out!" called Jay. I looped around Zoe and stopped in front of Jay. "Yeah?" "Jay! I was so close to getting him!" "No you weren't!" I countered. "Yeah. Right."

"We were thinking we could teach you some hand to hand combat. Wanna try?" asked Kai. I was shocked by this. They want to train me? Why now? I looked at Uncle and Dad, and they smiled at me. The one thing that came to mind was: "DO I EVER!" They all smiled. "Well, follow me kiddo" ordered Cole.

We all went to the center of the deck. "Alright, let's see how much you already know. Come at me." I hesitated. "It's alright, I won't be mad" Cole reassured. I charged at him and kicked near his kneecap, and Cole dodged. When he turned out of the way, I swiftly followed and punched him in the funny bone, and he winced and stepped back. Recovering quickly, he moved in for a punch, but I blocked it and kicked him square in the hip. Clearly, he was surprised by this, and I punched him in the chest and he was knocked on his back.

I look of shock was registered on his face, and he muttered: "Subdued by a 9 year old." "Hey! I'm 11!" I shouted. I helped him up. "How did you know all that already?" questioned Cole. I rolled my eyes. "I see you guys train, and I guess you could say I picked up a thing or two." "Well, nice job kiddo, I'm impressed." I smiled up at him. I had a good feeling today was going to be fun.

**Pythor's POV:**

Finally my army had the scroll of frost. Those petty little ninja didn't suspect a thing! Only 4 more to go. In order for my army to go unnoticed, we had to remain stealthy. That could be a small problem, considering how idiotic they may be.

"My lord, the army isss getting ressstlessss. They wish to know when they will be taking the next scroll, the scroll of earth." Skales looked slightly bored, and I personally do not blame him. The army, while dependable, can give you a splitting headache if spent with them for too long.

"Yes Skales, tell them we will set out tomorrow evening. I need a day off and take a break from their little antics." "Well understood my lord, I will tell the others." Skales then bowed respectively and left. I retreated to my quarters.

I sat in a small chair and studied the scroll. It looked worn out and frail, and the paper looked like it would rip easily if I was not careful. On the scroll was a design that looked like snow swirling in the wind, and a large symbol, on that I have seen on the white ninja's gi, that looked like a creature of some sort.

As I was trying to comprehend this, the temperature in my room dropped at least 10 degrees, and I saw a figure in the corner. It looked see through, but was pure, pure silver. Its eyes were as black as obsidian, with silvery white hair. "_My master wishes for me to deliver a message._" I got a chill. Its voice sounded demonic and hoarse. "A-a-nd the message is?" I shakily questioned. Truthfully I was scared out of my wits. "_The great Venom shall awaken at a certain time, on the winter solstice. That is when he wants to begin his master plan, when the timing is right and when darkness comes earlier." _Instantly I was confused. "Wait just a minute. I will awaken him when I want him to! And this is MY master plan! I shall rule, not him! He will merely be helping me! I am the true ruler!" "_You my dear are merely the help. You will rule by Venom's side, not the other way around." _"And what makes you think I will just willingly accept this?!" This was an outrage! "_Just do as you are told, and you may get out of this alive. May I ask, how many scrolls do you even have?" _I gulped. Something told me that this thing would not be happy if he found out that I only have one. _"That is what I thought. A joke is what you are. If you want to change that, perhaps move at a faster pace, hm? The solstice is next week, 7 days from now. Do not fail us Pythor. We have a kingdom to rule. And so little time to do it. One last thing though. You are aware that you need a sacrifice, right?"_ "Yes. I am aware. Not a problem." This I was certain about. I had a plan to obtain the boy. That WILL work. "_Good. Perhaps you are not as hopeless as I originally thought. You have one week. Do not fail." _"Wait! Who are YOU?" This puzzled me. "_Just call me, Xander." _And with that, he vanished out of sight.

Warmth returned to my room. A week…let's hope that tomorrow evening would be successful. Venom will return, that I vowed to myself.

**Zoe's POV:**

I watched my brother train Lloyd while the others were doing, well, whatever ninjas and old guys do at 4:00 in the afternoon. Lloyd was getting good, which was awesome. And, Lloyd was really funny and sweet. I enjoyed being with him.

Cole said they should call it a night. He left with that, and Lloyd walked over to me smiling. "Nice job twinkle toes" I joked. He smiled that adorable smile of his. "Thanks." The two of us enjoyed the silence as we looked at the sunset overhead. I felt like I could trust him enough to tell him my secret. "He Lloyd, can you keep a secret?" He nodded. "Well, when me and Cole were little, our parents took us to the amusement park. It was really fun, and the park was planning to set off fireworks, but they caught on fire. I was separated from them, and when I couldn't find them, I just went home. But a truant officer found me walking down the street all by myself. I tried to tell him that I did have parents, but he wouldn't believe me. I was taken to a foster home. I tried to leave to get back to them, but I couldn't. I haven't seen my parents since."

Lloyd looked at me. "I'm so sorry. At least you and Cole have each other now." I smiled. "Yeah. Thanks for listening. It's nice to get that off my chest." And I meant it. We spent the rest of the night in silence, looking at the stars.

A.N: Alrighty, the image of shadows' name was revealed! Venom! Dun dun dun…and so was another mysterious character going by the name of Xander. You'll see more of him. ;) Did you like Pythor and Xander's conversation, along with the rest of it? Tell me your thoughts! Thanks! Review, and have a nice day and or night!


	10. Chapter 10

A.N: OMG. I am SOOOO sorry for not updating in so long. I had, like, REALLY BAD writers block. I had no clue what to say. I apologize, but I have been getting more and more homework as the year goes on, so it's been hard to balance school and here. Anyway, I'll try and see if I can update once a week. Does Sunday work? Ok, on a different note, CHAPTER 10! DOUBLE DIGITS BABY! J WOO HOO! Alright you probably have had enough of my ramble; just R&R please…thanks.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

Normally, I woke up long before my students and my brother, so as the Bounty sailed on through the quiet morning, I consulted the spirit smoke to get some answers. I wasn't the only one with questions about the past events.

I concentrated on the smoke, until I saw an image before me. It showed the ninja, me, and my brother, facing some sort of shadow warriors and the serpentine. An ominous figure stood at the front of the underground chamber. Lloyd was chained to the wall and covered with soot and bleeding wounds, and was much thinner than now, and looked pale and weak. He could scarcely keep his eyes open. The ghastly Anacondrai chuckled at his prisoner, amused at how miserable he was. A cold figure was approaching my nephew with a sharpened dagger. The smoke returned to the rest of us. We continued fighting, until Lloyd's shriek of pure agony was heard, and a menacing roar came from the figure at the front, as it began to materialize before us.

The vision disappeared.

The spirit smoke answers little questions and creates more. I was horrified by what I saw. In the vision, Lloyd was in their captivity. What happens to Lloyd that causes the serpentine to him? Did we make a mistake, or was one of the ninja responsible? And, what/ who were the new figures? As I pondered this, the alarm clock went off, and I heard my students groan and begin to wake up. Perhaps they have ideas, but I shouldn't say anything in front of my nephew. Oh, this is going to be troubling…

**Zoe's POV:**

Does Sensei have to wake us up so early? 5:30 in the morning, really?! I suppose this is when the saying "be ready for everything" comes into play, but I still hate it. I was sleeping in my bed next to Nya, since I now share a room with her. Quickly, I changed, brushed my teeth and my hair, and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen.

The only person in there was Sensei. He's really nice to me, but he's so mysterious and hard to figure out. Like a logic puzzle, it takes a while to understand, and when you do, something's wrong and you gotta start all over. He turned around, saw me, and smiled. "Hello Zoe. You seem to be ready early this morning." I nodded as the smell of bacon wafted into the room. It smelled heavenly and tantalized my taste buds. "I was hungry. Whose turn is it to cook?" Sensei thought for a moment. "I believe its Zane's turn." I sighed in relief, thankful that it wasn't my brother's turn. Sensei chuckled. "Yes, I am glad it's not your brother's turn as well." HOW DOES HE DO THAT?! Sheesh, that's creepy.

As we waited for the others to come to breakfast, I noticed that Sensei looked, worried. He was hiding something, something important. I could feel it; Cole always told me I was good at reading people. "Something wrong Sensei?" I asked, trying not to seem nosy. He seemed surprised at this question, and shakily answered: "N-no, nothing. You shouldn't be worried." Yep, he's hiding something.

Lloyd then bounded into the room in his ninja gi. He still had a high fever and a cough, but he seemed to feel a lot better. His arm still looked awful, it made me feel sick. It was now bandaged once again by Nya. "Hey Zoe. Hey Sensei" he greeted. We waved. He took a seat next to me at the table, causing me to secretly blush. Truth is I think I like him. He's really sweet, funny, and cute. I doubt he likes me though. He's the chosen one, and what am I to him? A friend? I can't do much, besides give support I guess. But, whenever I talk to Lloyd, he gets all nervous and blushes sometimes. Does he…no. No way.

The rest of the ninja and Lloyd's dad showed up at the table. Garmadon sat next to Lloyd, and the ninja took their usual places. Sensei sat next to Kai. "So, I'm sure everybody hates winter now, right?" piped up Jay. The rest of them nodded. I was unsure what to say. Did I miss something important before I lived here? Cole noticed my confused look. "Oh, right. Well, we were out sledding when…"

**Garmadon's POV:**

And so, Cole began retelling the story to his little sister. Since I already knew the story, I tuned out for a bit. Lloyd was listening to Cole and looking at Zoe. It was nice to see Lloyd finally have a friend. I was relieved to hear my brother tell me that Lloyd's recovering nicely from being sick. I still sometimes get vertigo when I look at his arm.

Cole was about up to when the ice cracked on them when Wu and Zane came out with breakfast. I looked at my brother, and I noticed he seemed, on edge. He was meditating this morning. Strange.

Many pancakes later, Cole was finished telling the story and Zoe was caught up. Lloyd's face was covered with sticky syrup, as well as Zoe. I laughed a little, as that is how I always ate my breakfast as a child. I handed him a napkin as him and Zoe ran off to play.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and I popped the question on my mind. "So Wu, how did the meditation go?" He gulped. "Well, it did work out well. I had a vision, but it wasn't a good one." Intrigued, I asked: "Such as?" Wu seemed pretty shaken up. **(This is pretty much just a told version of the vision. You can skip it if you want.) ** "Ok. It showed all of us, minus Lloyd and Zoe, fighting off the serpentine and some strange shadow warriors. Then it showed Lloyd chained to the wall. What concerns me was that he was wounded horribly. No color anywhere on his body and he could barely keep his eyes open. This cold being was approaching him with a dagger. A horrifying figure was at the front of this underground chamber. He was see-through and very large. It went back to us fighting, and then Lloyd's shriek of pain was heard. The figure at the front began laughing and materializing. Then it stopped. That's it."

Silence. I was speechless. Lloyd was captured, wounded and, based on the description, dying. How did the blasted serpentine even get to him? I was horrified. I was also glad my son wasn't in the room; he would have had a conniption.

Jay looked like he would scream. "Thanks Sally Sunshine. That totally improved the mood." Kai looked concerned. "Well, we should protect the pipsqueak at all costs. Since he was captured in the vision, we obviously made some kind of dumb mistake and it cost us him." Simultaneously, all of us nodded in agreement. My son's safety rests in our hands.

**Lloyd's POV:**

I was hanging upside-down on a bar, talking with Zoe. She is totally awesome, but I act so stupid around her sometimes. Thankfully, that hasn't happened in a while.

Dad and Sensei walked towards us. I smiled. "Hey" I greeted. "You two ok out here?" Sensei asked. I was surprised by this question. He never asks that, he always trusts me. And besides, I could just call him if something went wrong, which was unlikely. "Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" Dad, well, I couldn't really read his expression. "No reason" he said. I rolled my eyes. "You worry too much" I stated. Dad was way too overprotective sometimes. It gets annoying.

We hung out there in silence, my hair hanging down in front of me. Zoe was looking at the ocean like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Awkward….

**Xander's POV:**

I walked along the hallway of my master's chamber. Frost spread along the walls like a virus. I always carried a cold aura, to strike fear in the hearts of my enemies. My power is not to be taken lightly.

Even though most people would tremble at the feet of Venom, I do not. Because I am his apprentice, I am used to his horrific appearance.

I eventually arrived at the door of his throne room. I knocked quietly. _Enter_ he rasped. I hurriedly walked in and dropped to one knee. "You wished to see me my lord?" I respectfully asked. Yes, I am his second in command, but that can be easily changed.

_Did you talk to the Anacondrai? _ I grinned, remembering his expression. "Yes master. He is aware of the time limit and the sacrifice needed." Venom nodded. _Good. In order to take over Ninjago once and for all, I need the little one's soul. I'm sure I would love to see the father's reaction when he finds out his little boy was murdered. _I nodded. It would be quite entertaining. "But what should we do about the ninja? They, along with the boy's father and Sensei, will surely try to protect him." Master just smiled maniacally. _Do not worry my apprentice. I have a plan to make sure they are out of the way. However, we do not need him just yet. _As much as I wanted to question his motives, I kept my mouth shut. No one would dare defy Venom, unless they do not know of his power. _That is all Xander. You are dismissed. But, I want to ask a favor of you first._ I waited for his command, readily and also uncertainly. _After the snakes receive the 2__nd__ scroll, I want you to get the 3__rd__ alone. Let the ninja know and find out who you are. I will take care of the rest._ At first, I was confused. Slowly, I comprehended this, and nodded. "Yes master. It will be done." Venom looked pleased. _You may go._ And with that, I left the throne room, enjoying the images I thought of those pesky ninjas' demise.

**Lloyd's POV:**

Beginning to feel weird, I got down from my upside-down position, and just hung from the bar, unsure of what to say.

Before anyone could speak, Nya rushed in, eyes wide with alarm. "Guys!" Sensei turned to her. "What is it Nya?" "The serpentine are on the move!"

A.N: TADA! Ok, so, yeah chapter 10's done. I feel like it wasn't good, but just tell me what you thought. No hating please. Oh, and I told you you would see more of Xander. ;) That's about it, have a good day/night!


	11. Chapter 11

A.N: I have no excuse for not updating, so please forgive me! Ok, chapter 11. Last chapter we ended with Nya telling Zoe, Sensei, Lloyd and Garmadon that the serpentine are on the move. Please note that since this story is focused on Lloyd, I will not include the ninja's full battle with the serpentine. However, I will include the ninja telling the others what happened. Also, small note. I have noticed a large decrease in reviews for the chapters. The reviews are what motivate me to keep writing this so PLEASE REVIEW! It doesn't need to be long, just say what you liked and didn't like. I ACCEPT GUEST AND ANONYMOUS REVIEWS! Thanks. So, with that said. R&R please…..PLEASE!

**Lloyd's POV:**

When Nya told us that the serpentine were on the move, the reaction was almost immediate. Uncle told Nya to change course and follow them, and while I just stood there awkwardly next to Dad, the others got their weapons and prepared for battle.

When we reached them, the serpentine were going into the Caves of Despair, to look for the Scroll of Earth. The ship was positioned so that we could see them, but they can't see us. Uncle told the ninja to wait until we were sure they were inside, and then go in. Wait for the right moment, then try and take back the scroll. Seems easy enough.

The moment finally came. The ninja left silently on their vehicles, and then it was just me, Uncle, Dad and Zoe. I went down to the game room, and Dad and Zoe followed me. After some disagreement, Mario Kart was chosen. "I call Yoshi!" I shouted. Zoe didn't seem to mind, she played as Dry Bones. Dad watched us play on the couch.

As we raced down Rainbow Road, Zoe piped up, "Hey, you worried about the serpentine winning this thing?" I was surprised by this, of course not! "Why, should I? Simple, they show up, we kick their butts, they leave, and we celebrate. End of story." But, as I said this, I didn't believe myself. "Well, Pythor, while a pain in the butt, he can be scary. Who knows what he has in mind." I shrugged, focused mostly on the game. I was in the lead, and received a red shell and went through the loop-de-loop. "We don't have to worry though, since the two of us just hang on the ship. You're too paranoid." Zoe nodded. "Yeah, I guess, but I always worry when Cole goes on missions. I know Nya feels the same way."

After many rounds of Mario Kart, the ninja showed up. The three of us bolted to the bridge. They all seemed fine, thankfully. "Did you get the scroll?" Uncle asked. Kai smiled and pulled out an old looking piece of paper from behind him. "Does this answer your question?"

**Pythor's POV:**

Skales slithered into my quarters after the army returned from the Caves of Despair. "Sssir. I regret to inform you that the ninja got the sssscroll." A smile creeped across my face. Perfect. I turned to face my second-in-command. "Skales, that is a good thing. And do you know why?" After a brief moment of thought, he shook his head.

"We stage an attack, the ninja show up. While they are distracted, the rest of the generals and both of us infiltrate the ship. Get the scroll back; obtain the boy, everyone's happy. At least, us." Skales grinned. "Brilliant sssir. When ssshall we attack?" While every fiber of my being wanted to attack right this second, I hesitated. "Later tonight." Skales nodded. "I will alert the others. But, may I assssk, have you been communicating with that apprentice?" The look on my face seemed to answer his question. "Be careful sssir. Don't trussst what he ssssays, I don't." Skeptical, I pondered this as Skales dismissed himself.

**Garmadon's POV:**

The fact that we got the scroll was a remarkable achievement. However, I can't help but think that it was too easy of a victory. Based on the way the ninja retold the story, the serpentine weren't even trying. It worries me how they have been acting. The serpentine have been acting smarter than before.

After having a celebratory dinner over our victory, I met up with my son on the main deck. He was hanging upside down meditating. (My brother suggested doing he start doing it) He heard me coming and jumped a little, then relaxed when he saw me. "Hey Dad." I smiled. My son is one of the few people who can make me do that. Lloyd did a backflip off the bar, then winced and clutched his head. "Agh! Head rush!" I chuckled as he shook his head, causing his soft blonde hair to fly around, and walked over to me. "What's up?"

With all the craziness of the past few days, I didn't get a lot of time to spend time with him. He's my son, after all. Sometimes I just want to be with him and try my best to be a fatherly figure, despite all the things wrong with our family and destiny. I realized I hadn't answered his question. "What, I can't just spend some time with you?" Lloyd smiled.

Soon, the two of us were lying on the deck looking at the stars. I was showing him all the constellations my father taught me when I was his age. As I was pointing out the Little Dipper, Lloyd shivered a little. "Cold?" I asked. He nodded and I put an arm around him. A moment of quiet passed, and I noticed Lloyd was staring into space smiling a little. I knew what he was thinking about. "Son, I know you like Zoe." Startled, he looked at the floor, and even in the dim moonlight I could tell he was blushing. "That obvious?" I laughed, because it was. "Lloyd, I knew that since you and her first met." He looked at me. "But, does she like me back? I mean, what should I say, or do, or-"I cut him off before he got on a roll. "Lloyd, sometime, just tell her how you feel. If worse comes to worse, she's still your friend, and there are plenty of fish in the sea." Before he could respond, the alarm went off. "Again?!" Lloyd annoyingly asked. We rushed to the bridge to meet up with the others.

"Can't these slithering idiots take a break?!" Jay hollered. "Just go!" commanded Nya. And they did, 'cause nobody disobeyed Nya. The ninja bounded out of the room.

Only one thing was left on my mind: What in the name of Ninjago are the serpentine up to?

**Lloyd's POV:**

Silence filled the room when they left. We were all thinking the same thing, as to why the serpentine were attacking again. Dad looked worried, and Uncle was in deep thought. I was just plain confused.

Suddenly, the lights turned off. I sighed. "Did Jay screw something up with the power again?" I could hear Dad say to find a flashlight. I felt around the tables and chairs around me, until I felt the cylinder in my hands. "Found one!" I shouted. I flicked it on, only for the light to dim and disappear. Dang it, battery's dead.

I was standing there motionless when I felt a tail coil around my waist. The flashlight dropped on the floor as I screeched in surprise. "You ok son?" Dad called, and I could just barely choke out, "Something's got me!" I could feel my heart drop when I heard the thing purr, "It is not a thing, my dear, but a who." I gasped, which hurt. "Skalidor! What the hell are you doing on our ship?!" I screamed when sharp jabs of pain shot through my ribs. He was squeezing me too tight. "You're not welcome here! Leave this instant!" I heard Uncle angrily shout. I heard shoving and bumping, so the others must be trying to get to me, but they must be blocked off. Breath was escaping faster and faster, I felt light-headed, and the room began to spin. "Help" I gasped out. Skalidor slithered down the hall, and finally he let go, only for me to see the dim outline of Pythor on the deck. "Welcome back" he hissed.

Finally, the dizziness, the difficulty to breath, and the unbearable pain pulsing through my ribs was just too much. I let out a moan as I collapsed to the deck, and the world faded to black.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

After much waiting, the lights came back on, but there were only 3 of us in the room. The only thing left in the spot where my nephew stood was the flashlight. Lloyd was gone.

My brother gasped, and choked out, "They took him." Nya looked grim. "But, where are the other ninja? They should be back by now." I merely looked at the floor, guilt filling my gut. It was our job to protect Lloyd, and we let him down. I'll never forgive myself. I'm sure my brother must feel the same way, only amplified greatly, since he is his father.

The ninja sprinted in the bridge where we stood. "The whole thing was a set-up! Nothing but a wild goose chase! All of us just followed them all over the city!" Cole said between breathes. "Hey, where's Lloyd?" inquired Jay. The four of them saw the look on our faces, and the realization washed over them. "No, no he can't-" whispered Kai. "But, how did they do it? You guys were here" pointed out Cole. The shame only grew inside me. "The generals cut the power and blocked us from him. Skalidor caught Lloyd in his grip and was choking him, and while we were occupied he took my nephew to Pythor and they left abruptly. "

The mood darkened. "Well, there's only one thing left to do. Rescue him. He saved us, now it's our turn" Kai stated. We nodded. Zane gasped. "Perhaps my falcon can look for him!" A smile emerged across my face. I almost forgot about my pupil's pet. The falcon rested on his shoulder. "My friend, search for Lloyd and give us his location, and more importantly, if he's ok." The bird nodded and took off. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

A.N: Dun dun dun! Well, that's about it! REVIEW PLEASE!


	12. Chapter 12

A.N: Hey! The long awaited chapter 12 has arrived! *WARNING: Violence and slightly gory moments. If you want to skip it or are squeamish, I'll put this symbol next to the gore parts: *. It's not long, and I'll try and be less gory.* Please enjoy, and R&R!

**Lloyd's POV:**

My eyes slowly fluttered open as I regained consciousness. Groggily, I took in my surroundings, which wasn't much. I was in a small room made of stone, with a steel door and cold bumpy floors. Yay.

I sat there trying to remember what happened, the details were fuzzy, and my mind was still foggy. I knew I was on the ship, and the lights went out, Skalidor crushed me, then I was tossed on the main deck. There was someone there, but I don't remember who.

I decided not to dwell on it, I already had a headache. Sitting up, I squeaked in pain and clutched my side tightly. Moaning, I vowed to myself never to get caught in Skalidor's grip again.

There wasn't much to do in the room. I felt in my pockets to find anything that could help me. All I found was a candy wrapper, bouncy ball and my swiss army knife. I popped open the knife, remembering how bewildered I was when Kai gave it to me for my birthday last year. A small blade and a big one, pliers, a bottle opener, (that I won't be using) a screwdriver, a really small compass, and a hex wrench popped out all at once. I looked at all the pieces. Closing it, I sighed in defeat as nothing in there would help me break through a steel door.

Instead, I grabbed the bouncy ball and bounced it off the wall and caught it. This is gonna be a long night.

**Sensei Wu's POV:**

The mood on the ship was darker without my nephew. I could tell that guilt filled the hearts of all my students, and my own. When all of us explained to Zoe what happened, (she was below deck when it happened) she just stormed off to her room. Now my students were training extra hard to prepare to get him back.

Nya changed the bounty's course away from the direction the generals came from. I didn't want to risk anyone else getting captured. With serpentine, you never know what to expect. The only thing that made any of us feel hope is the fact that Zane's falcon was looking for him. Unfortunately, it only made my students more impatient.

"Ugh, can this bird go any slower?" Kai grumbled, proving my point. Zane looked at him. "Patience Kai, my friend will return, these things take time." Kai merely rolled his eyes. I approached them. "My nephew is smart and resourceful, I'm sure he can handle himself while we figure out a rescue plan." I had faith in him; I believed that he is alright.

My brother was greatly saddened by all of this, which I expected. I saw him looking out the window in the bridge while my students played video games. "He'll be ok brother, we'll rescue him" I reassured. He sighed. "Oh, I hope he's ok. I'm worried. The serpentine could be doing anything to him Wu! Anything!" While he did have a point, I was trying to cheer him up. "Your son is a strong boy, I'm sure he can handle himself. And most likely the serpentine will just be taunting him. After all, Lloyd is something they need." My brother merely nodded and stared at the ocean.

**Lloyd's POV:**

I've been bouncing the ball for who knows how long when the door slid open. 2 venomari warriors stood there. "Massssster Pythor wissshes to ssee you." Hesitantly, I stood up, causing pain to inflict on my side again. I cried out, and took deep breathes to calm myself down. But, the deeper the breath the more my side ached and hurt. Good to know.

The snakes walked in front of me as I followed, my mind buzzing with questions as to why Pythor would want to see me. I'm just his prisoner, what could I do for him?

As I looked around, I realized we were in an underground chamber. The 2 serpentine led me to a massive open space, complete with an altar, a countdown clock, and a large black door. Pythor sat in a small cushy chair, leering down at me.

"Hello little one. Welcome back!" I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure that you know why I need you, right?" Hastily, I looked at the countdown clock. Just a few more days until the winter solstice. I gulped and nodded. "However, I won't kill you just yet. I need your little friends out of the way first." My eyes widened. "And, you seem to know them the best out of everyone here. So tell me this, where are they?" I thought about this. They wouldn't be at the same place they were before, Nya would've changed course. But, I didn't know where they were going. Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell Pythor anyways. I'm not letting my friends get hurt. "I'm not telling you" I answered.

Pythor's ghastly smile vanished. "I thought you would be smarter than that boy. I'll tell you one thing; I always get what I want." He nodded at the warriors. They grabbed my arm and turned me around, kicking me in the back to make me fall to my knees. I tried to get up, but the one holding my arm would just twist it farther backwards. I could hear Pythor slithering closer to me, and the unmistakable unsheathing of a dagger.

*Before I could say anything, he sliced it across my back, ripping my ninja gi and jacket. I screamed at the pain, feeling blood trickle down my spine. "I'll ask you one more time my dear, where are the ninja?" I shook my head. "I'm not telling you!" I shouted. In response, I felt another slash, and I screamed as spots danced in front of my eyes.* The room tilted back and forth, and I began to feel weak and shaky. _This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening _I thought.

I was yanked back to my feet and turned back around. My legs felt wobbly, I could barely stand up. The room was spinning so much that Pythor looked like he was everywhere. "I'll ask you again tomorrow, hopefully you'll have the sense to answer me correctly."

And so, I was led back to my prison, so weak and dizzy I couldn't comprehend what just happened.

Little did I know, the falcon just recorded everything.

**Garmadon's POV:**

I was in the bridge in the early morning, thinking about the events of last night. I only hoped my son was ok.

I picked at breakfast, not feeling very hungry, when Zane burst into the room. "The falcon has returned with new footage!" All of us stood up with smiles all around. Hope filled me. Did the falcon find my son? I love this bird now, and that says a lot.

Zane plugged a cable into the bird, and the other end into the monitor. An image came to life on the monitor, and I saw 2 venomari guards strolling into a small room. I saw Lloyd in the background, the guards commanding him to follow. He got up, then winced and clutched his side, which concerned me. Did he get hurt?

The footage showed Lloyd following the guards into a chamber made of rock. What startled me was the large countdown clock in the corner, with a snowflake at the top. The winter solstice.

The camera zoomed in on Pythor and Lloyd talking to each other. At first, he was just taunting my son like my brother predicted, but then he was asked where we were. I could tell Lloyd was surprised, but he refused to give us away.

Pythor wasn't happy about that. I gasped when the guards had my son pinned down on the floor. My heart pounded louder and louder as Pythor got closer to him. Lloyd's eyes were as big as saucers, and he was panting, but based on the grimace he had the excessive breathing was painful. Pythor slid out a dagger. _No, no he wouldn't dare…._

*He did. A large wound was sliced across his back. The falcon zoomed in, and the wound was horribly deep and bloody. Pythor asked again where we were, and Lloyd refused to say. And so, another slice.*

Thankfully that's all he did. My son was forcefully yanked off the ground. I noticed his legs were wobbly, and Lloyd was having trouble focusing on Pythor like he was in 2 places at once. The conversation ended and Lloyd was led back to his prison and the footage ended.

Silence filled the room. "Pythor, he's gone way too far" Kai angrily said. Cole just stared at the screen. "He's just a kid, why him?" I spoke up. "Is it just me, or was Lloyd clutching his side? I also noticed that when he was panting, it looked like he was in pain." Wu nodded. "It's not just you, I saw that as well. Skalidor probably broke a bone or two near Lloyd's ribcage. That's why he must be in pain in that area, and excessive breathing causes pain to him."

"May I remind you all he'll do it again! If we don't rescue him soon he'll lose too much blood and then its game over!" shouted Jay. Kai shook his head. "We won't let that happen. Huddle up guys, I've got a plan…"

A.N: What is Kai's plan? Will Lloyd be alright or be tortured more? Take a guess in the reviews! (I'll cut down on the gore, I promise and I apologize for possibly being too graphic) REVIEW!


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